The gas also gives others in the area their own powers, and several of them become supervillains. As a result, Virgil obtains the ability to create, generate, absorb, and control electricity and magnetism-he takes up the alter-ego of "Static". During the dispute with the police, chemical containers explode, releasing a gas that causes mutations among the people in the vicinity (this event was later known as " The Big Bang"). Wade eventually leads Virgil to a restricted area for a fight against F-Stop's crew, but it was interrupted by police helicopters. He also has a dispute with a bully named Francis Stone, nicknamed "F-Stop." A gang leader named Wade recently helped Virgil, hoping to recruit him, but Virgil is hesitant, as he knows his mother died in an exchange of gunfire between gangs. He attends high school with his best friend Richie Foley, and has a crush on a girl named Frieda. Virgil Hawkins is a 14-year-old who lives with his older sister Sharon, and his widowed father Robert in Dakota City. In spite of this, its popularity revived interest in the original Milestone comic and introduced McDuffie to the animation industry.
The series also produced some related merchandise, which sold poorly McDuffie cited the low sales as one of the main factors behind the series' cancellation. Some criticism was directed towards its jokes-which were said to be stale and too similar to the Spider-Man style-and animation, which was said to be unnatural and outdated. Static Shock was nominated for numerous awards, including the Daytime Emmy. The show approached several social issues, which was positively received by most television critics. Although originally not intended to be a part of it, it soon became the fifth series of the DC Animated Universe beginning with its second season. Static Shock had some alterations from the original comic book because it was oriented to a pre-teen audience.
Animation from a crew composed mostly of people from the company's past shows, but also with the involvement of two of the comic's creators, Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan. Static Shock was produced by Warner Bros. It was the first time that an African-American superhero was the titular character of their own broadcast animation series.
The show revolves around Virgil Hawkins, a 14-year old boy who uses the secret identity of "Static" after exposure to a mutagen gas during a gang fight which gave him electromagnetic powers. Static Shock ran for four seasons, with 52 half-hour episodes in total. It premiered on September 23, 2000, on the WB Television Network's Kids' WB programming block. Static Shock is an American superhero animated television series based on the Milestone Media/ DC Comics superhero Static.